148 DISEASES OF BEES. 



serration, we are satisfied that this insect is suhject 

 only to one malady, namely, dysentery. Vertigo has 

 been spoken of by many writers, especially on the 

 continent, as one of their ailments, but, we think, 

 without sufficient grounds. We have occasionally 

 seen bees in that state of dizziness which is ascribed 

 to vertigo, but have invariably found that when seized 

 and held in the hand for a second or two, and again 

 let go, they return to their usual occupation without 

 any marks of disease. Swelling of the antennas is 

 also mentioned as a bee-malady, we have never 

 seen an instance of it, and, from its being unnoticed 

 even by many of those naturalists who have furnished 

 long lists of the disorders of bees, it seems to have as 

 little foundation in reality as vertigo. In fact, dysentery 

 appears to be the only serious disorder to which these 

 insects are liable, and various causes have been as- 

 signed for it, such as their feeding on honey-dew, on 

 the juices of certain fruits, on plants of a poisonous 

 nature, on honey alone without a due mixture of 

 pollen, &c. &c. No evidence from accurate experi- 

 ment has been adduced in favour of these theories, 

 and, perhaps, their inapplicability is established by 

 the fact that a well peopled hive is never assailed by 

 this disorder, provided its inmates are in the full en- 

 joyment of their liberty. We are led to conclude, 

 therefore, that it proceeds simply from long confine- 

 ment, by which the necessary evacuations are pre- 

 vented. It is well known that the bees, when in 

 health, never void their excrement within the hive. 

 When their owners, therefore, from mistaken care, 



